He continues to perform with his long-time working unit The Stryker / Slagle Band. He has published over 100 compositions some of which have been recorded by artists like Turrentine, Mahogany, Victor Lewis, and Steve Slagle. His latest release Blue Strike (SteepleChase Music) was selected as a Best of 2011 by WBGO and New England Public Radio. Dave now has 23 CD’s as a leader and over 50 as a sideman. Since then he has had a whirlwind international career of recordings and club and festival dates. He soon joined organist Jack McDuff for a two-year tour followed by a ten-year stint with the legendary Stanley Turrentine. To date he has appeared on over 70 CDs.ĭave Stryker grew up in Omaha and moved to New York City in 1980. The New Yorker said of him, “There is little Mahogany cannot do.” That tells it all.ĭave Stryker – Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker fronting his own groups or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, or Kevin Mahogany, you know why critic Gary Giddins calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” He has also been singled out as a Top Ten Guitarist and a Rising Star in Critics and Readers polls in Downbeat Magazine. With 11 CD’s as a leader and more as a sideman, Kevin has become one of the outstanding vocalists in jazz. He has since released albums on Enja, Warner Brothers, Telarc and finally on his own label, Mahogany Jazz. In1993, Kevin released his debut album Double Rainbow. After graduating, he returned to his roots in Kansas City and its music scene. At Baker University, he formed his own vocal jazz choir. By 1970, a 12 year-old, Kevin was playing the baritone sax and working professionally with Eddie Baker’s “New Breed Orchestra.” By his senior high school year, he discovered he was a singer. “It’s about the history of jazz,” said Kositany-Buckner, “it’s about our heritage, and it’s the first Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival.”įOX 4 is a proud sponsor of the Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival.Kevin Mahogany – With his gift for bebop, ballads, blues and swing Kevin Mahogany’s talents bloomed early. This Memorial Day weekend, it’s about memorializing all those jazz greats who put Kansas City on the map. “(I want) everyone to have a place at the festival,” he said, “so they can say ‘This is a place for me.'” “Build community and create those cultural bridges.”īlaq echoed those sentiments. “One of the things I wanted to do with this festival was build social connections,” said Kositany-Buckner. “So everyone has a place at the festival, so they can say ‘this is a place for me’ and not just for jazz, just R&B, or just blues, just everything of music fused together.”įestival organizers want this festival to showcase more than just stanzas and saxophones. “I wanted people who love jazz to come out and enjoy it, and who love blues, who love R&B, to just to come out and enjoy a good time.” “I wanted the family to come out,” he continued. “I was looking for a lot of diversity,” said Joe Blaq, the Festival Director “I wanted something for everyone.”īlaq is a Kansas City native who is now a a music producer. Ticket sales continued past 10 pm Friday night. ![]() “What was most surprising,” she continued, “is when we opened the doors, the crowd kept on coming and coming and coming.” Kositany-Buckner said the lines were long and deep Friday afternoon and evening. The newly-minted Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival is hitting all the high notes over it’s first three days. That cadence is especially pronounced this Memorial Weekend. People are traveling from all over the world to come to 18th and Vine to really just be in that experience where jazz was created.” “Kansas City,” she said Saturday morning, “this is something that you should be proud of. “Jazz is our heritage,” added Kositany-Buckner, the Executive Director of the American Jazz Museum. ![]() “This is historical.”įrom the opening notes to the rambling rifts, Kansas City at 18th and Vine has a cadence. “You don’t want to miss this,” said Cheptoo Kositany-Buckner. It’s a first on many levels: the first Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the first time the Paseo has been shut down for an event. ![]() Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |